Summary
On December 06, 2014, a Cessna 152 (N25979) was involved in an incident near Berrien Springs, MI. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing and his poor decision not to abort the landing before the airplane traveled off the end of the airstrip.
The airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The 83-year-old pilot landed on the 1,944 foot long grass airstrip, and the airplane continued off the end of the airstrip and crossed over the paved intersecting runway. The airplane then continued to travel 60 feet where it struck an embankment, and another 30 feet before nosing over and substantially damaging the firewall. The pilot stated that a gust of wind caused him to lose directional control of the airplane before it nosed over. The wind reported at the Benton Harbor Airport, located 13 miles from the accident airport, was variable at 6 knots.
The pilot purchased the airplane in 1983, and the aircraft registration lapsed in 2011.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN15CA073. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N25979.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing and his poor decision not to abort the landing before the airplane traveled off the end of the airstrip.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The 83-year-old pilot landed on the 1,944 foot long grass airstrip, and the airplane continued off the end of the airstrip and crossed over the paved intersecting runway. The airplane then continued to travel 60 feet where it struck an embankment, and another 30 feet before nosing over and substantially damaging the firewall. The pilot stated that a gust of wind caused him to lose directional control of the airplane before it nosed over. The wind reported at the Benton Harbor Airport, located 13 miles from the accident airport, was variable at 6 knots.
The pilot purchased the airplane in 1983, and the aircraft registration lapsed in 2011. The pilot told the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he could not find his aircraft or pilot logbooks, and that he did not know when he last had a flight review. The pilot's last FAA airmen medical was dated December 15, 1983.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN15CA073